Drop on demand ink jet technology is widely used in the printing industry. Printers using drop on demand ink jet technology can use either thermal ink jet technology or piezoelectric technology. Even though they are more expensive to manufacture than thermal ink jets, piezoelectric ink jets are generally favored as they can use a wider variety of inks and eliminate problems with kogation.
Piezoelectric ink jet print heads typically include a flexible diaphragm and an array of piezoelectric actuators (i.e., piezoelectric transducers, piezoelectric elements) attached to the diaphragm. When a voltage is applied to a piezoelectric element, typically through electrical connection with an electrode electrically coupled to a power source, the piezoelectric element bends or deflects, causing the diaphragm to flex which expels a quantity of ink from a chamber through a nozzle. The flexing further draws ink into the chamber from a main ink reservoir through an opening to replace the expelled ink.
Increasing the printing resolution of an ink jet printer employing piezoelectric ink jet technology is a goal of design engineers. Increasing the jet density of the piezoelectric ink jet print head can increase printing resolution. One way to increase the jet density is to eliminate manifolds which are internal to a jet stack. With this design, it is preferable to have a single port through the back of the jet stack for each jet. The port functions as a pathway for the transfer of ink from the reservoir to each jet chamber. Because of the large number of jets in a high density print head, the large number of ports, one for each jet, must pass vertically through the diaphragm and between the piezoelectric elements.
Processes for forming a jet stack can include the formation of a patterned standoff layer having openings therein which expose a top surface of each piezoelectric element. A quantity (i.e., a microdrop) of conductor such as conductive epoxy, conductive paste, or another conductive material is dispensed individually on the top of each piezoelectric element. Electrodes of a flexible printed circuit (i.e., a flex circuit) or a printed circuit board (PCB) are placed in contact with each microdrop to facilitate electrical communication between each piezoelectric element and the electrodes of the flex circuit or PCB. The standoff layer functions to contain the flow of the conductive microdrops to the desired locations on top of the piezoelectric elements, and also functions as an adhesive between the interstitial layer and the flex circuit or PCB.
Methods for manufacturing a print head having electrical contacts which are easier to manufacture and have a higher reliability over the lifetime of the device than prior structures, and the resulting print head and printer, would be desirable.